The Introverted Child: Understanding This Behavior and Teaching Your Kids That it’s Perfectly Fine

on July 19, 2017 at 9:07 PM /

By Elaine Spencer, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist “She’s finally starting to come out of her shell.” “It just takes him a little longer to warm up to others.” “She’s more of a listener than a talker.” “He likes to take in what’s going on before joining others.” “She prefers to hang out with one friend at a time.” “He’s just quiet.” If you’re using these statements to describe your child, then he or she may be introverted. Parents, especially extroverted ones, often struggle to understand and figure out how to support their introverted child in an extroverted world. What can you do to be supportive of an introverted...

Keep Calm and Color On

By Dr. Elaine Spencer

on November 1, 2015 at 6:48 PM /

By Elaine Spencer, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist I walked into Michaels Craft store the other day and was pleasantly surprised to see the front display was advertising coloring books for adults and I thought to myself, “Wow! Coloring really is the new craze!” So What is This New Coloring Phenomenon All About? The simple answer is that coloring can actually be therapeutic. If you were like me as a child, you spent hours with your coloring books and your parents probably thought you enjoyed coloring because ‘that’s what kids do’. We now know that children are on to something because not only is coloring...

The Power of the Group

By Dr. Elaine Spencer

on April 23, 2015 at 3:06 AM /

By Elaine Spencer, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist When parents realize that their children or teens are struggling and need support, they often consider individual therapy. It's true that one-on-one therapy is an effective way for many children to work on their individual challenges through a close relationship with their therapist, but sometimes individual therapy is not enough or just isn't the right fit. One-on-one therapy can have a tremendous effect on your child, but what if it just isn't the right fit? Our group therapy may be exactly what your young one is looking for. So, what if your child needs something more or something...

Emotionally Connecting With Your Children

By Dr. Elaine Spencer

on February 4, 2015 at 10:38 PM /

By Elaine Spencer, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist As a mother of two young children, I often feel that there are not enough hours in the day to take care of them and accomplish all of the seemingly endless tasks that need to be done. I end up asking myself...